In it's core, Feng Shui interior decor is about the balance of yin and yang which means the balance of light and dark. For example, it is about creating an area that gets roughly an equal balance of both. Feng Shui interior decor can easily become a very complicated subject, focusing on every detail such as the direction the house. So that, even if the front door is facing the wrong direction, you may be dogged with bad luck. Also consider positioning of furniture and accessories. To sum all the ideas up, here are tips on how to create Feng Shui interior decor in your house.
Zen is all about creating a healthy living space based on maximising the natural light and space available. It is also introduces the gifts of nature in your home.
I often favour this style of interior. But I think Asian influenced decor is a better terminology as in the West our tastes and aspirations for a perfect home interior is vastly different from the East. What we can relate to with this style is the peaceful ambiance that introduces some of naturel elements into your home. The sound of falling water and natural elements for our window coverings such as a wooden blind being classic examples.
Our desire in the West to overdo the use of pictures, photos and ornaments was at its height in the Victorian era, when dusting alone must have been a nightmare. Thankfully those days are long gone and we have moved on to a period where we show self control over “displaying our stuff” to a point now where some homes are no longer homely as they are void of any form of personalisation.
The Western world has thankfully moved away from hanging witches, but many people are, by nature, still very super superstitious, which will not help you to relax at home.
People still value the ancient Eastern wisdom or perhaps superstitions such as Feng Shui, Thai Chi, Reiki and Zen. In fact, they are becoming increasingly popular with Westerners, a testament perhaps to their credibility.
However, mindful of new technology, new materials and the old ways, I find some of the teachings a little extreme. I cannot for example go along with the eastern Feng Shui idea that keeping an ornament of an elephant under the bed will help you sleep anymore than the western idea that a black cat will bring good luck or breaking a mirror will bring bad luck.
But many people, including me like the openness and the embracing of the natural world. People who follow any of these teachings seem to gain an inner calm, living a seemingly less stressful life. Especially perhaps as they do not seem to be obsessed with accumulating “stuff”.
Dark Wooden Blinds – Oriental or Ornamental
In the West we often seem to associate dark wooden blinds with an Asian decor where over doing the ornaments and over furnishing the room would be completely alien. Asian decor is based on finding a balance in all aspects of your life, including your home.
Blinds make a great choice for your windows. We all know that daylight stimulates the brain to produce the feel good hormone serotonin. Thus, if the brain has had enough light during the day, at night it produces the restful sleep hormone melatonin.
Wooden venetian blinds and bamboo or woodweave blinds have a strong association with the minimal Asian look. They almost obligatory for a Spa themed living space, along with the bamboo shoots and scented candles. Wooden blinds also look sophisticated in a modern decor, especially if they compliment a wooden floor of similar colouring.
Consider the overall theme of your home accessories, tablescapes and ornament groupings.
This brings me to the subject of bright backlit tv screens, computer monitors and tablets. As someone with experience of laying awake most of the night and who could not bear the slightest noise, I have discovered that having a ticking clock has worked wonders. It allows my mind to churn over the daily rubbish and to avoid the lure of the computer or television before bedtime. Apparently the brain feels that the bright screen is broad daylight and does not start to wind down producing the all important melatonin.
Spa Themed Decors.
The word Spa comes from the Latin ‘ solus per aqua’ which means health through water. Certainly, the Romans knew all about relaxing in a spa.
Unfortunately just when we need them the most, most of our spas and wellbeing experiences are not available to us.
So now perhaps there is no better time to make a soothing place to rest and recover in your home. The place, where you can take yourself away from the rest of the family and the continued worries, fill a bath or lay down somewhere and treat yourself to some good relaxation therapy of your own.
How to Create an Idyllic Oasis in your home.
Cleopatra, probably one of the most self indulgent persons in history went to great lengths to start her day off in the right frame of mind. She pampered herself in her daily bath in donkey milk. In fact, a herd of 700 donkeys went wherever Cleopatra went to provide enough milk for her bath. That’s certainly not traveling light.
1. When the area is not used for relaxation, open your curtains or blinds and the windows. Let the fresh air and natural light into the room.
2. Lots of light is important in a bathroom first thing in the morning for daily tasks. So, lighting that mimics natural light as much as possible is the next best thing. However, at night your eyes need to be rested, so for a relaxing ambience, candles or fitting a dimmer switch will help to create the mood for rest.
A spa decor are more akin to a Zen style of decor, natural products, neutral colours and a dash of luxury. Zen is all about balance, peace and relaxation, using natural elements to connect people with the space they live in. Soft neutral walls, minimal window coverings and a few quality accessories will help to keep your mind calm and focused. Different tasks will require different types of lighting. However, make sure that the area is geared towards relaxation so ensure that there is plenty of mood lighting.
Strong overhead lighting is not flattering for a room or anyone in it. Mood lighting is very important to help create the right atmosphere for relaxation.
To be able to relax anywhere will take a degree of tidiness. Try to ensure there are adequate cupboards or shelving for storing things that are not required for everyday use.
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